Despite the billions of dollars spent on creating vast databases, corporations face staggering problems finding and delivering timely information into the hands of decision makers. Existing systems for accessing databases often require teams of analysts and programmers to extract and massage the data. Some conventional systems allow users to remotely view data via a network, such as the World Wide Web (“the Web”), but the data typically in the form of inflexible reports cannot be customized. End users typically cannot create and customize reports and graphs; they typically are forced to use a number of pre-defined, static reports. As such, employees, customers and supply chain partners are often unable to access and utilize valuable information, which results in underinformed, delayed business decisions.